While hardliners accuse doniger of reducing hindu gods to fictions, the hindus actually shows how the interpretive diversity of the hindu tradition is its strength. She is an american indologist with dozens of publication under her name. A critique of wendy donigers the hindus, an alternative history. You can see the logic of her doing it if you have ever studied. Books can be attributed to anonymous for several reasons. Wendy doniger oflaherty was born in new york in 1940. The author, wendy doniger, has two doctorates, one in sanskrit and one in indian studies, so she is exceedingly well qualified to write meaningfully on this topic. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the hindus. Examines a rich array of hindu conceptspolytheism, death, gender, art, contemporary puritanism, nonviolence, and many more. Wendy donigers book the hindus, an alternative history see the cover, published and distributed by penguin has been a phenomenal sales success.
Oct 26, 2015 with immense skill wendy doniger illuminates those moments within the hindu tradition that resist forces that would standardize or establish a canon. This book is a collection of essays on hinduism by the author wendy doniger. In 2011, the hindu nationalist group shiksha bachao andolan filed a civil case against penguin india over the hindus. Wendy doniger in when the lingam is just a cigar, psychoanalysis and hindu sexual fantasies. May 07, 20 drawing upon doniger s writing over forty years, on hinduism is scholarship of the highest order, and a compelling analysis of one of the worlds great faiths. Drawing upon donigers writing over forty years, on hinduism is scholarship of the highest order, and a compelling analysis of one of the worlds great faiths. Quotes from wendy donigers the hindus learn religions. Columbia university press, it was the beginning of series of extremely fruitful and provocative encounters with the formidable scholarship of wendy doniger. A scholar of sanskrit and indian textual traditions, her major works include, asceticism and eroticism in the mythology of siva. Wendy doniger and the hindus by murali balaji the new. It has seven sections based on the different themes.
Library of congress cataloginginpublication data doniger, wendy. Wendy donigers research and teaching interests revolve around two basic areas, hinduism and mythology. Ive labored all my adult life in the paddy fields of sanskrit, doniger has written 16 books, translated primarily from sanskrit to english with commentary nine other volumes, has contributed to many edited texts and has written hundreds of articles in journals, magazines and newspapers. The real reason wendy donigers book on hindus was banned. About wendy doniger oflahertys translation of the rig. Also by wendy doniger siva, the erotic ascetic the origins of evil in hindu mythology dreams, illusion, and other realities. Pdf the hindus an alternative history wendy doniger ripu.
Doniger, a scholar of religion and professor at the university of chicago, wrote the hindus. Oct 22, 2010 while hardliners accuse doniger of reducing hindu gods to fictions, the hindus actually shows how the interpretive diversity of the hindu tradition is its strength. This publication, on hinduism, has also attracted unjustified criticism from hindutvavadis. One story is about fusing the head of a brahmin woman onto the body of a dalit woman. Seventythreeyearold doniger is an american jewish indologist who has been a professor at the university of chicago since 1978. An alternative history by wendy doniger of the university of chicago is really not a history at all. The legal notice cherry picks fragments and passages from the book, all of which are backed by authoritative textual citation by wendy doniger to try and foist as valid its own simple minded and puritanical interpretation of the hindu canon on those who have read or might yet want to read the book. Wendy donigers the hindus recalled by penguin india time. Feb 03, 2014 doniger concludes with four concise autobiographical essays in which she reflects on her lifetime of scholarship, hindu criticism of her work, and the influence of hinduism on her own philosophy of life. Includes more than 60 essays and lectures spanning the decadeslong career of one of hinduisms most prominent scholars. This was after a lawsuit filed by the shiksha bachao andolan samithi committee for the struggle to save education against the book arguing that the work was riddled with heresies and that the contents were offensive.
Unlike her previous work this was specifically aimed at the indian audience. The real reason wendy donigers book on hindus was banned in. However, the same doniger then uses modern terms like dalit to back. A careful definition is sharper f or donigers t urn o f phrase.
The earliest of the four hindu religious scriptures known as the vedas, and the first extensive composition to survive in any indoeuropean language, the rig. Wendy donigers enthralling and encyclopaedic book reveals her vision of a hindu culture that is plural, varied, generous, and inclusive. Also by wendy doniger siva, the erotic ascetic tjje origins ofevilin hindu m ythology dreams, illusion, and other realities splitting the. An alternative history by wendy doniger, a professor of religion at the. After severe backlash in india and a court case that ended last. Her courses in mythology address themes in crosscultural expanses, such as death, dreams, evil, horses, sex, and women. An anthology, 108 hymns translated from the sanskrit. The hindus an alternative history by wendy doniger penguin books november 2010 isbn10. Doniger concludes with four concise autobiographical essays in which she reflects on her lifetime of scholarship, hindu criticism of her work, and the influence of hinduism on her own philosophy of life. The book was initially published by viking penguin in 2009 and later in india by penguins indian subsidiary, penguin india. The book was initially published by viking penguin in 2009 and later in india by penguins indian subsidiary, penguin india the book was criticized in india, and in february 2014 it was the subject of litigation in.
Wendy doniger oflaherty born november 20, 1940 is an american indologist whose professional career has spanned five decades. Doniger knows her sanskrit and her vedas, but she looks hindu rituals and traditions from the point of view of women and minorities. The earliest of the four hindu religious scriptures known as the vedas, and the first extensive composition to survive in any indoeuropean language, the rig veda c. With immense skill wendy doniger illuminates those moments within the hindu tradition that resist forces that would standardize or establish a canon. A recent issue of south asia 374 included three articles on the controversy surrounding donigers 2009 work, the hindus.
Wendy doniger oflaherty is an american indologist who has written several books about hinduism and sanskrit texts. The traditional principle of spatial organization of the people of india is neither racial nor casteist but cultural and territorial. Mar 26, 2020 hindu myths wendy doniger pdf march 26, 2020 admin leave a comment wendy doniger was born in new york in and trained as a dancer under shiva. I had written this for facebook, reproducing it here. She frames the debate over her book, as well as other topics when it comes to hinduism, as one between hindu rightwing activists and scholars. An alternative history penguin, 2009 has outraged hindus around the world for allegedly insulting and offending hindus and indians.
Aims of life in the hindu imaginary chapter 9 women and ogresses in the ramayana 400 bce to 200 ce chapter 10 violence in the mahabharata 300 bce to 300 ce. An alternative history, which was published in 2009. The origins of evil in hindu mythology wendy doniger o. Wendy doniger oflaherty is a scholar of sanskrit and indian textual traditions, her major works include, asceticism and eroticism in the mythology of siva. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Wendy doniger oflaherty born november 20, is an american indologist. Wendy doniger, the 74yearold american author and research scholar in sanskrit is moreover known for the high regard she has had for indian tradition. She holds doctoral degrees in both sanskrit and oriental studies, and is the mircea eliade. In this magisterial volume of essays, wendy doniger enhances our understanding of the ancient and complex religion to which she has devoted herself for half a century. Censorship by the batra brigade nyr, may 8, wendy doniger touches on a number of issues when it comes to the academic study of religion and larger questions of representation. Jul 10, 2019 wendy donigers controversial book the hindus.
Wendy doniger social thought the university of chicago. I came to know of wendy doniger in 2014, after penguin decided to withdraw her book the hindus. She brings a multiplicity of actors and stories to the stage to show how brilliant, creativeand often subversivethinkers have kept hinduism alive and dynamic through the ages. Fight back and reclaim wendy doniger s valuable book taken away from you by a spineless publisher and the fundamentalists they made a deal with. Hindu stories different from other versions of the story told in other cultures. On hinduism paperback wendy doniger oxford university press. Pdf the hindus an alternative history wendy doniger. This series of interconnected essays and lectures surveys the most critically important and hotly contested issues in hinduism over 3,500 years, from the ancient time of the vedas to the present day. An alternative history kindle edition by doniger, wendy. Working with available light time and space in india. Buy wendy doniger ebooks to read online or download in pdf or epub on your pc, tablet or mobile device. Mar, 2014 doniger knows her sanskrit and her vedas, but she looks hindu rituals and traditions from the point of view of women and minorities. In her book, doniger retells hindu stories and provides snarky interpretations.
An alternative history from publication and pulp the remaining copies in india. On hinduism is the culmination of over forty years of scholarship from a renowned expert on one of the worlds great faiths. Hinduism, in her view, is an intricate weave of the diverse localities and communities of indian culture. Oct 30, 2015 wendy doniger, the 74yearold american author and research scholar in sanskrit is moreover known for the high regard she has had for indian tradition. Hindu myths wendy doniger pdf wendy doniger was born in new york in and trained as a dancer under shiva. Doniger is at pains to argue in chapters 1 and 2 of the book that there was nothing called hinduism in the past, and that it is a modern construct. An alternative history by wendy doniger urmi chandavaz academia. An alternative history fight back and reclaim wendy donigers valuable book taken away from you by a spineless publisher and the fundamentalists they made a deal with. In this magisterial volume of essays, wendy doniger enhances our understanding of the ancient and complex religion to which she has devoted herself for half a century this series of interconnected essays and lectures surveys the most critically important and hotly contested issues in hinduism over 3,500 years, from the ancient time of the vedas to the present day. Wendy doniger, a professor of history of religion at university of chicago, is a prizewinning author of book, the hindus. The hindu newspaper is very important for upsc civil service examination, download todays the hindu newspaper for upsc ias examination free in pdf. An alternative history is a book by american indologist, wendy doniger which the author describes as an alternative to the narrative of hindu history that they tell. The hindus an alternative history is an utterly wonderful book.
946 944 1505 1269 308 243 1315 1414 1157 494 982 445 47 1326 1203 11 1065 996 13 1314 650 714 329 725 1308 923 1034 862 278 875 405 1334 1437 1369 512 1467 136 479 836